REGION
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
East Oregonian
CTUIR board leaves
marijuana off ballot
HERMISTON
Homeless population ticks up,
services strain to keep pace
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Due to an editorial error,
the fi rst three paragraphs of
this news story were omitted
from Tuesday’s paper.
Marijuana will remain
illegal on the Umatilla Indian
Reservation for the foresee-
able future.
Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indian Reservation
spokesman Chuck Sams said
no members of the Board of
Trustees seconded a motion
made by General Council
Chairman Alan Crawford to
put marijuana up for a refer-
endum during a closed tribal
session Monday. That means
tribal members will not vote
on legalizing cannabis in the
upcoming Nov. 14 general
election.
The board also did not
take action on a referendum
to approve a tribal life insur-
ance policy that would have
allowed members to purchase
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
The homeless popula-
tion of Umatilla County
hasn’t changed much in
the last two years, but the
state’s numbers have gone
up, creating a growing need
for shelter and funding.
This year’s point-in-time
homeless count showed
a 12 percent increase in
Oregon’s total homeless
population, to about 13,953
people. The last count, in
2015, was about 777 fewer
people. The survey also
found that homeless youth
made up about 12 percent
of those surveyed, or about
1,731 people. The state
did show a nine percent
decrease, or a drop of about
121 people, in the popula-
tion of homeless veterans
from the previous survey.
The survey was conducted
by Oregon Housing and
Community Services in
January.
In Umatilla County, the
survey showed the home-
less population at about 55
people, from 52 counted in
2015. Thirty-six are aged
24 and up, and about 31
are male and 24 are female.
The data was also broken
down to include sheltered
and unsheltered homeless
people.
There are several places
in Umatilla County where
the homeless can get help,
but the need still exceeds
available resources.
The Hermiston Warming
Station operates in the
winter months. The station
can house about 22 people,
and sees many different
clients
come
through
during cold weather.
Trish
Rossell,
the
president of the warming
station, said overall she
has seen fewer homeless
people in Hermiston than
previous years. But she
said the warming station is
the busiest it has ever been.
“Last year, we served 70
individuals,” she said.
The warming station
will be at 1075 S. Hwy 395
again this year, and will be
open each night this winter.
Of the 70 people they
served last year, Rossell
said about half have since
found permanent housing.
There is a core group that
Rossell said the warming
EO fi le photo
Two homeless Hermiston men leave the Hermiston Warming Station from its
downtown location in December 2014.
station sees each year. But
most, she said, stay there
because of a temporary
need for shelter.
“Most are people in a
rough patch,” she said.
“They may have a house
where the heat is turned off,
or are in between housing.”
“It’s the last safety net, if
they have no sofa to sleep
on,” she added.
At Hermiston’s Agape
House, those in need can
get food, as well as coats,
blankets and sleeping bags
in the winter. They offer
a shower facility for the
homeless, which costs $1.
Dave Hughes, who has
been the executive director
of the nonprofi t since 2002,
said he hasn’t seen a recent
rise in the homeless popu-
lation.
“But it hasn’t gone down
any,” he said.
Hughes said of the
people they serve who are
homeless, about 60 percent
are continually living in the
Hermiston area, while the
rest seem to be in and out.
He said there’s no simple
answer for why people are
homeless.
“The major thing is
that we don’t have enough
housing, period,” he said.
“Until that problem is
solved, I’m not sure we
will have a real answer. It’s
going to take a number of
units that serve the low-in-
come portion of the market
to solve that problem.”
The Agape House also
operates Martha’s House, a
facility that houses seven to
10 families without homes.
Recently, Hughes said, the
facility also began consid-
ering single women for the
program.
But Hughes said there
were other issues, as well.
“The general population
looks at the homeless
stereotype as one type,”
he said. “That population
is as diverse as any other
population.”
The reasons for home-
lessness, he said, can span
a temporary lack of funds,
mental illness, or a tran-
sient lifestyle. But for each
of those things, he said,
there’s a unique solution.
“It’s very diffi cult to
fi nd a champion for each of
those,” he said.
Another issue, he said,
is that most agencies have
a different defi nition of
“homeless,” and those
seeking aid often run into
technicalities that prevent
them from getting help.
“If you’re staying with a
friend, some agencies will
say you’re not homeless
because you have a place
to stay,” Hughes said, “And
then you can’t apply for
their programs until you’re
homeless.”
“There’s not a generally
agreed-upon defi nition,”
he said. “If we could get
to that, I think we’d be
making some inroads.”
The Oregon Legislature
in 2017 set aside $40 million
in funding to support
the Emergency Housing
Assistance program and the
State Homeless Assistance
Program, which help fi nd
people temporary housing
while they look for perma-
nent places to live. They
also approved $1.5 million
to aid homeless veterans.
But local organizations
noted one group that’s
still neglected — those
displaced
because
of
mental health issues.
“Even if we have the
money, there’s nobody
for them to see,” Rossell
said. “And some have
progressed so far, they need
supervision.”
Rossell said there have
been many positive changes
in the community for home-
less people. She recognized
Jason Estle of Desert Rose
Ministries, who has been
active in trying to create
jobs for those who have
been homeless.
But she noted that many
still view homeless people
with disdain.
“Our biggest challenge
is recruiting volunteers and
overcoming the stigma,”
she said. “People on Face-
book will say, ‘If they’d
just get off their lazy butts.’
You can’t if you have
schizophrenia.”
———
Contact
Jayati
Ramakrishnan
at
jramakrishnan@eastore-
gonian.com or 541-564-
4534
Residents complain of
strange water smell, taste
By EMILY OLSON
East Oregonian
In the last week,
Pendleton’s Public Works
Department logged seven
complaints of water tasting
and smelling like algae or
mold.
That’s an unusually high
number according to Klaus
Hoehna, Pendleton’s water
regulatory specialist. Before
this week, the staff had not
recorded a complaint in eight
months.
Hoehna said his team is
scratching their heads over
the complaints. They’ve
done additional testing and
everything looks normal.
It’s standard procedure
to follow each complaint
by sampling the water for
Coliform bacteria. If present,
it could indicate the presence
of bacteria that cause water-
borne illness, like E. coli.
“In every case we’ve had
a Coliform-absent response,”
Hoehna said. Water contam-
ination in Pendleton is
highly unlikely — the local
water wells and treatment
centers are highly secured
and carefully monitored
with up-to-date technology,
Hoehna said.
Hoehna believes a likely
culprit for lower water quality
is the homeowner’s lack of
preventative maintenance.
Older water heaters can leave
corrosion deposits. Dirty
faucet fi lters, which Hoehna
recommends replacing or
cleaning every 3 months, can
lead to a dirty taste. Stagnant
lines, like those in a bathroom
that isn’t used daily, can
produce stale water, fi lled
with a non-harmful bacteria
that produce a moldy odor.
The Public Works Depart-
ment anticipates a greater
number of complaints during
City, Quezadas make a deal over old city hall
The Quezada family and
the city of Pendleton have
a tentative deal over the
old city hall. City attorney
Nancy Kerns said the settle-
ment means the parties will
not go to trial.
An explosion in June 2015
damaged much of the nearly-
100-year-old building at 34
S.E. Dorion Ave. and killed
Eduardo Quezada, a member
of the family. Per city law,
the Quezadas had to repair
the fi re damage within a
year, but that did not happen.
The city council voted Jan.
3 to declare the building a
nuisance and began fi ning
the owners $500 per day.
The Quezadas contested
the fi nes in municipal court,
and the trial was to start
Wednesday morning in
municipal court. Kerns said
she could not disclose the
terms of the deal, but the city
council meets Tuesday at 7
p.m. and could discuss it in a
closed-door session.
Any action the council
takes on the deal, however,
has to be in public.
———
Contact Phil Wright at
pwright@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0833.
BRIEFLY
Hermiston council
approves raise, extension
for city manager
Smith spent much of that year
serving as chairman of the Eastern
Oregon Trade and Event Center
board, which completed construction
on new facilities that host the
Umatilla County Fair and Farm-City
Pro Rodeo.
started the new school year Monday.
Meyers in an email said workers
restored power at 9:56 a.m.
“There will be a follow-up to
determine the cause,” he said.
“She was able to escape,
unharmed, and contact the Hermiston
Police Department,” according to
police.
The department described the
suspect as a white male, about 5 feet
9 inches tall, balding, with facial
hair and noticeable tattoos on his
arms. He may be associated with a
dark-colored Toyota Prius or similar
vehicle.
Investigators coordinated with
the Hermiston School District,
according to the statement, and the
investigation is continuing. Police
encouraged anyone with information
to immediately call the Hermiston
Police Department at 541-567-5519.
———
Briefs are compiled from staff
and wire reports, and press releases.
Email press releases to news@
eastoregonian.com
HERMISTON — The Hermiston
City Council unanimously approved
Hermiston police warn
amendments to
the contract for
of attempted kidnapping
Power out Tuesday
City Manager
HERMISTON — Hermiston
Byron Smith
morning in Boardman
police asked residents for
that will give
BOARDMAN — Umatilla
information about a possible
him a $5,000
Electric Cooperative lost power
attempted kidnapping.
annual raise
Tuesday morning to much of
The department took to its
and extend his
Boardman,
but
it
was
restored
after
Facebook
page Monday night
contract a year.
about an hour.
to report that a stranger grabbed
The action
Steve Meyers, the cooperative’s
a teenage girl at about 5 p.m. at
came Monday
member services administrator, said
Belt Park near the intersection
night following Smith
the failure happened at about 8:45
of Southwest Seventh Street and
an executive
a.m.
at
the
substation
at
the
Port
of
West Pine Avenue near West Park
session to discuss his performance
Morrow and affects 633 customers.
Elementary. She told police she
over the past year.
The contract amendment includes Those include the port and Riverside believed the man tried to get her into
Junior-Senior High School, which
his car.
a one-year contract extension
through Aug. 28, 2019 and
an increase of $5,000 per
MOFE HD CHANNELS,
FASTEF INTEFNET AND
year to his base pay.
UNLIMITED VOICE.
Physiciats
Mutual
Itsuratce
Compaty
That will give Smith, who
A less expetsive way to help get the dettal care you deserve
was hired as city manager in
2014 with a base salary of
SPECTFUM INTEFNET™
If you’re over 50, you can get coverage for about
No wait for preventive care and no deductibles
$1 a day*
– you could get a checkup tomorrol
$115,000 a year, a new base
$
Keep your own dentist! NO netlorks to lorry about
Coverage for over 350 procedures including
99
salary of $137,000.
cleanings, exams, fi llings, crolns…even dentures
NO annual or lifetime cap o n the cash benefi ts
you can receive
“We appreciate your
Blazing fast Internet is available and can be yours with Spectrum Internet™ With speeds starting at 60 Mbps
service to the city,” Mayor
FREE Information Kit
David Drotzmann told Smith
1-877-599-0125
$
97
after the unanimous vote.
855-613-2321
www.dettal50plus.com/25
“It’s been a challenging
year.”
DENTAL Itsuratce
• Speeds up to 60Mbps
• Unlimited data – no data caps
AS LOW AS
29
/per mo.
for 12 mos
when bundled*
125+ CHANNELS
SPECTRUM TRIPLE PLAY TM
TV, INTERNET AND VOICE
UP TO 60MBPS
UNLIMITED CALLING
*Individual
*Individual
plan.
plan.
Product
Product
not not
available
available
in MN,
in MT,
MN, NH,
MT, RI,
NH,
VT, RI,
WA.
VT, Acceptance
WA. Acceptance
guaranteed
guaranteed
for one insurance
for one insurance
policy/certificate
policy/certificate
of this type. of Contact
this type.
us for
Contact
complete
us for
details
complete details
about this insurance solicitation. This specific offer is not available in CO, NY; call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for similar offer. Certificate C250A (ID: C250E; PA: C250Q);
Insurance Policy P150(GA: P150GA; NY: P150NY; OK: P150OK; TN: P150TN) 6096C
MB16-NM001Gc
from
$50,000 in insurance from
the tribal government.
A call to the Board
of Trustees was directed
to board Secretary Kat
Brigham, who declined to
comment. Crawford did not
return a request for comment
as of press time.
Under tribal government,
the General Council is
comprised of every tribal
member over the age of 18.
The General Council votes
for its own offi cers as well as
the members of the nine-seat
Board of Trustees.
In an interview before the
meeting, Woodrow Star, a
member on the board, said
some tribal members have
been interested in legalizing
marijuana since the state did
it several years ago, although
the tribes’ uncertainty on
federal prohibition of the
drug kept it from moving
forward.
“It was more or less a
wait-and-see,” he said.
PENDLETON
PENDLETON
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Page 3A
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED RETAILER
89
/mo each
for 12 mos
when bundled*
*Bundle price for TV Select, Internet and Voice is $89.97/mo. for year 1; standard rates apply after year 1. Available Internet speeds may vary by
address. WiFi: Equipment, activation and installation fees apply. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change.
Services not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. All Rights Reserved. ©2017 Charter Communications.
the Umatilla River’s high
water events. The city pulls
water from the river when
there is suffi cient volume,
and that water has a muddier
taste to discerning palates.
But Hoehna said the city is
mostly pulling from ground-
water at the moment.
Alison Moses, who lives
on SW Issac Street, said the
funky smell started at the
same time the city put water
usage restrictions in place
due to the unforeseen outage
of two wells earlier this
month.
“The city water has ruined
two Brita fi lters,” she wrote
in an email to Tim Smith, the
city’s water superintendent.
“The water has a moldy pond
fl avor and scent and we have
heard the same problem from
many people near us and
across town. We have been
buying drinking water at the
store since the fi lters aren’t
working.”
Moses said she and her
family have been feeling
dizzy and lightheaded —
she’s not sure if that’s from
the water.
Hoehna said the issues
with the wells has only
decreased the water quantity,
not quality.
Some residents speculated
the taste results from a new
water line near NW 6th street.
The line was replaced as
part of routine maintenance,
Hoehna explained.
“Even before we test it
for Coliform, we have the
line chlorinated and fl ushed,”
Hoehna said. The department
waits for the results before
turning the line on for users.
The test came back Coliform
absent.
———
Contact Emily Olson at
eolson@eastoregonian.com
or 541-966-0809
Route work
pays for my
children’s
activities.
Become an
East Oregonian
Carrier.
211 SE Byers Ave.
Pendleton
or call:
541-276-2211
1-800-522-0255